The present invention relates to digital graphics display systems and more particularly to a real time system for displaying vectors, circles and arcs from a known starting point. Previous systems have their basis in trigonometric relationships requiring the dedicated processing of data and adjustment for rounding errors as in table look-up approaches. The present system, however, enables the presentation of graphics in real time without the aid of a processor unit by performing only additions, subtractions and comparisons to determine the coordinates of the resolution points comprising the displayed graphical character. The system is recursive and is adaptable to either a raster scan or beam position (stroke) monitor.